1. Field of the Invention
This invention pertains generally to games of chance using fixed pools from which winnings are drawn. More particularly, the invention is a method and apparatus for enabling bonus plays on gaming machines where winnings are drawn from fixed pools.
2. The Prior Art
Traditional fixed pool games are those where a set of draws, prizes, and prize amounts are predetermined. The entire set of draws (including draws having no winnings) is called a fixed or known pool. To play, players draw individual results from the pool. “Drawing” from the pool is traditionally achieved by printing a set of tickets such that one ticket represents one draw from the pool; these tickets are called pre-printed tickets, where the winnings/losings are printed inside each ticket (or under black ink which is scraped off, in which case they are called “scratchers”). A player participates in the draw by purchasing individual pre-printed tickets.
With the advent of Amerindian casinos being run under IGRA (25 U.S.C. §2701-2721), the interest in Class II games has risen dramatically. Class II games can be used in Amerindian casinos without entering into state compacts, a significant advantage over Class III (Nevada-style) games. Traditional fixed pool games such as scratch tickets are categorized as Class II games. As a result, games based on fixed pools that provide more player interest and excitement than traditional scratch tickets or lottery tickets are in demand.
There has been some success in the manufacture of games making use of fixed pools in Amerindian casinos. When a player plays a game in an Amerindian casino, the game makes a request for a game result from a central server. The central server holds the fixed pools, and when a request comes in from a gaming machine, the server randomly picks one result from the pool (the electronic equivalent of a player buying a ticket).
The draw results are sent to the game machine, which displays the pre-determined result to the player in an entertaining fashion. A typical display will in some fashion mimic a video slot reel machine, showing reels spinning and stopping in such a way that the “wins” on the reel symbols match the amount of the pre-determined win. However, the games are extremely limited in terms of play options because of the limitations of using fixed, pre-determined results. For example, there can be no traditional Nevada-style bonus games, because they ordinarily involve winnings based on randomized events beyond that of the initial winnings. Thus, traditional gaming solutions for added secondary games, bonus games, progressives, etc., cannot be used with fixed pool gaming machines. The result has been fixed pool games that provide no added play and very little entertainment beyond simply displaying a result from the fixed pool.
Because of the above-described limitations, there is a need to find a way to provide players of fixed pool gaming machines with features found in Nevada-style gaming, especially game bonus rounds or bonuses.